FAT cab 13 No 9 resto

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Gina,

From memory, we decided at the time to stay with the 'as issued' scheme which follows the classic period images of the No.9, especially as there was no guarantee that the tractor would have been repainted in subsequent schemes as they were issued - often, they were not. The tractor is a type example with no known provenance, hence the above. The cam and markings are simply a generic set.

21 Aust Field Regiment were attached to 1 Motor Division in 1942. In June 1942, the issued signage was 62 in white on the artillery background of red over blue.

By May 1943, the unit formed part of 3rd Armd Div (the re-formed 1 Motor Div) with the unit sign 76 on the red and blue background (as per my previous info to you).

Both 1 Motor Div and 3 Armd Div used the same formation sign of a greyhound over a boomerang, in white, on a black background.

I don't have a record for 21 Fd Regt after August 1944, so don't know where they ended up after 3 Aust Armd Div was disbanded. However, the unit sign would have been 21 over 74 in white on a red over blue background.

All the artillery Unit sign Arm of Service colours red/blue referred to above were horizontally divided, top half red, bottom half blue.

Location of signage is as per the AWM example: front left, rear right. Cannot remember if the No.9 has plate holders on both sides of the rear or not, but generally, the Formation sign was painted directly on the vehicle, usually above the location of the unit sign, while the Unit sign was on the removable plate (which had the word 'PASS' painted on the back, in black, on the vehicle base colour KGJ or KG3).

Regards

Mike